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MyReporter - Venus' flytraps can be bought legally

The Venus' flytrap can be kept as an outdoor plant, but it requires disturbed soil that is low in nitrogen and high in acidity to thrive. StarNews file photo

Published: Saturday, July 6, 2013 at 9:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, July 6, 2013 at 1:58 a.m.

Q. Where can I legally buy a Venus’ flytrap plant? Can they be kept as an indoor plant?

A. Venus’ flytraps can be bought legally at a variety of stores.

Fly Trap Farm is a well-known seller in Brunswick County, but flytraps can be bought at many nurseries and chain stores in Southeastern North Carolina.

The problem with buying them legally stems from verifying where the flytraps come from, said Brandon Dean, a game warden with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

When poachers dig up flytraps on private or public property, they often sell them to local nurseries and say they dug them up on their own property, which would be legal, Dean said.

Therefore, a nursery may believe it is selling legally dug flytraps when they really were poached.

As a buyer, it is difficult to avoid this problem. Buying flytraps from those who grow them in nurseries using micropropagation techniques is both legal and sustains the longevity of the plant.

Southeastern Community College sells flytraps grown in the lab for $5 apiece, said Becky Westbrooks, head of the tissue culture micropropagation program at SECC.

The flytrap can be kept as an outdoor plant, but it requires disturbed soil that is low in nitrogen and high in acidity to thrive. If being kept inside in soil bought to suit the plant, it should be watered with distilled water, not tap or rain water, Westbrooks said.

A. The clear-cutting or harvesting of trees is regulated by the N.C. Forestry Service.

According to the rules and guidelines set forth by the state, loggers are hired to clear all trees within a given space. Clear-cutting is often preferred.

“Preserving some areas of forest may be appropriate if the purposes are for reasons other than to grow trees,” according to the guidelines. “However, it’s important to recognize that trees do not live forever. If they are managed through scientific forestry principles and harvested in accordance to best management practices, trees can provide an abundance of renewable natural resource materials after being harvested, while also providing many environmental benefits.”

The guidelines go on to say that “while the immediate appearance of some clearcuts may not be attractive to all, there are biological and silvicultural benefits of a properly implemented clearcut harvest. Considering the long-term management of forests, as measured in decades, the relatively short period of time that a clearcut harvest appears unsightly should not be considered as a permanent loss of forests.”

Silvicultural refers to the care and cultivation of forest trees.

And often after a harvest of trees, new seeds are planted to restore the area’s forest cover. However, in the case of a land clearing, it is usually done to make room for land development.

<p class="bold allcaps">Q. Where can I legally buy a Venus' flytrap plant? Can they be kept as an indoor plant?</p>
<p>A. Venus' flytraps can be bought legally at a variety of stores.</p><p>Fly Trap Farm is a well-known seller in Brunswick County, but flytraps can be bought at many nurseries and chain stores in Southeastern North Carolina.</p><p>The problem with buying them legally stems from verifying where the flytraps come from, said Brandon Dean, a game warden with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.</p><p>When poachers dig up flytraps on private or public property, they often sell them to local nurseries and say they dug them up on their own property, which would be legal, Dean said.</p><p>Therefore, a nursery may believe it is selling legally dug flytraps when they really were poached.</p><p>As a buyer, it is difficult to avoid this problem. Buying flytraps from those who grow them in nurseries using micropropagation techniques is both legal and sustains the longevity of the plant.</p><p>Southeastern Community College sells flytraps grown in the lab for $5 apiece, said Becky Westbrooks, head of the tissue culture micropropagation program at SECC.</p><p>The flytrap can be kept as an outdoor plant, but it requires disturbed soil that is low in nitrogen and high in acidity to thrive. If being kept inside in soil bought to suit the plant, it should be watered with distilled water, not tap or rain water, Westbrooks said.</p><p><i></p><p>– Will Drabold</i></p><h3>Q. Why are timber companies allowed to clear-cut forest instead of leaving some trees to prevent erosion?</h3>
<p>A. The clear-cutting or harvesting of trees is regulated by the N.C. Forestry Service.</p><p>According to the rules and guidelines set forth by the state, loggers are hired to clear all trees within a given space. Clear-cutting is often preferred.</p><p>“Preserving some areas of forest may be appropriate if the purposes are for reasons other than to grow trees,” according to the guidelines. “However, it's important to recognize that trees do not live forever. If they are managed through scientific forestry principles and harvested in accordance to best management practices, trees can provide an abundance of renewable natural resource materials after being harvested, while also providing many environmental benefits.”</p><p>The guidelines go on to say that “while the immediate appearance of some clearcuts may not be attractive to all, there are biological and silvicultural benefits of a properly implemented clearcut harvest. Considering the long-term management of forests, as measured in decades, the relatively short period of time that a clearcut harvest appears unsightly should not be considered as a permanent loss of forests.”</p><p>Silvicultural refers to the care and cultivation of forest trees.</p><p>And often after a harvest of trees, new seeds are planted to restore the area's forest cover. However, in the case of a land clearing, it is usually done to make room for land development.</p><p><i></p><p>– <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9907"><b>Jason Gonzales</b></a></i></p>